Tag: iconicafrica

Monwana Game Lodge: Experience Exceptional

Posted on by James

The More Family Collection has long been associated with outstanding safari experiences.

Their lodges, boutique hotels and private residences are found in Southern Africa’s best leisure destinations, and combine to offer you the classic Southern African experience, with the More Family Collection’s signature ‘golden thread’ running through them.

Monwana Game Lodge in Thornybush Nature Reserve embodies the spirit of homecoming, and encourages a deep connection to nature.

Thornybush is part of the Greater Kruger National Park, and is unfenced from the 20 000 square kilometre wilderness.

The 14 000ha although concession upon which the lodge is found is literally teeming with wildlife. Elephants parade past the lodge’s waterhole, leopards rasp from the riverbed at night, and from the deck of your suite or the comfort of the main lodge area, you can watch the best of Africa passing by throughout the day.

Four spacious suites accommodate two guests each, and all offer beautiful views from their private shaded decks. Birdwatch from the comfort of a lounger whilst the sun is high, or cool off in your plunge pool (which is heated to beat the coldest months of winter).
Underfloor heating within the rooms themselves and heated towel rails take the edge of the crispness of winter, and the high quality of linen, dressing gowns and towels will leave you feeling exquisitely pampered.

In addition to the four suites, two family suites which can accommodate up to five guests are available. These are ideal for families with older children (reserve policy stipulates a minimum age of ten), as the secondary bedroom features twin beds, and an extra one can easily be added.

The Private safari vehicle that comes with each family suite ensures that your bush adventures flow with your own rhythm. Come back later if needs be or head out earlier in the afternoon to maximise your bush time…
It’ll just be you on board, so spend as long as you want admiring all of nature’s aspects, without the pressure of fitting in with the needs of others.

In an industry already flush with exceptional safari experiences, Monwana is truly special. You will instantly feel at home there, and there are few places that will have you getting that in touch with nature that quickly.

Email us on info@iconicafrica.com to find out more about this wonderful destination, and let’s start planning YOUR safari…

Duba Plains: Delta Dawn

Posted on by James

World-famous wildlife filmmakers Derek and Beverly Joubert made their name through groundbreaking documentaries like Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas, Eye of the Leopard, and Relentless Enemies, which examines the intense rivalry between buffalo and the lions that have adapted their ways to hunt them through the watery channels of Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

This last production was filmed on site at Duba Plains, on the northern edge of the Okavango, and the camp at which the two filmmakers has since become one of the jewels in the Great Plains crown, and one of the best places in the world to see big cats.

It has been a number of years since the specific lions in the documentary were around, and new individuals now rule the area. Populations ebb and flow, as they will in nature, but both lions and buffalo still roam the floodplains, along with wild dogs, leopards, elephants, and a multitude of other species just waiting for the safari-goer.

Duba Plains Camp is essentially the epitome of the Botswana safari and sits on the private 33,000-hectare Duba Plains reserve amongst a matrix of palm-dotted islands, flood plains and woodland.
Birdlife is prolific, and someone stumbling into this ecosystem for the first time would be forgiven for thinking they had unexpectedly arrived in Eden.

The camp at Duba Plains offers five bespoke suites. Its design ensures that it blends into the landscape whilst evoking the classic African safari style of the 1920s.
All the rooms are on raised recycled railway sleeper decking. Each suite affords guests stunning views of the surrounding floodplain and the steady stream of wildlife parading past.

Each suite has a lounge area and beautifully appointed en-suite facilities: a flush loo, double vanities, indoor and outdoor showers, and a luxurious bath. Ceiling fans and an environmentally friendly air-conditioning system over the bed ensures a comfortable climate. Enjoy your private verandah, complete with a plunge pool and shaded sala.
The floodplains that stretch out beyond the camp play daily host to a plethora of wildlife, and the reality is that you often don’t need to go on a game drive, as creatures both great and small literally parade past your room on a regular basis.

Duba is truly one of the iconic Okavango lodges, and with the extensive Great Plains Portfolio across Botswana and into East Africa, it is a simple matter to tailor-make a safari within their collection, with each lodge simply brimming with opulence and waiting to deliver a world class wildlife experience.

Get in touch through info@iconicafrica.com, and let’s start planning your safari…